Flashes almost completely shut down in 80-42 loss vs. MAC East leader Buffalo

Buffalo held Kent State to 21 percent shooting — lowest in at least five years — in an 80-42 rout of the Flashes in Buffalo Wednesday.

It was KSU’s worst loss of the season and second largest margin of defeat in Todd Starkey’s two years as coach in Kent. The worst was a 42-point loss to Baylor, ranked No. 5 in the country at the time last year.

The Bulls ran to a 25-9 first-quarter lead. KSU played them fairly evenly in the second and third quarters but then were blown out 24-10 in the fourth quarter.

Jordan Korinek, the MAC’s second-leading scorer, had 22 points for Kent State. But no other KSU player had more than five.

Kent State made one of 17 three-point shots after making four of 23 Saturday against Northern Illinois.

Buffalo leads the MAC East and is second in the MAC overall with an 10-2 conference record (19-4 overall). Kent State is 4-8 in conference play and 11-13 for the season.